Chairman of the Environmental and Natural Resources Recovery Agency of MUI, Hayu S. Prabowo, reminded the community that the use of single-use plastic bags for the distribution of sacrificial meat would increase the generation of environmental pollutants that can harm the ecosystem and human health.
"There are many things that we can do together to reduce plastic use. Plastics have harmed our ecosystem, our health, and all creatures," he said during a virtual public dialogue on “Fun Qurbani Without Plastic Waste,” accessed from here on Wednesday.
Prabowo also emphasized the importance of waste management in the process of slaughtering Qurbani animals to avoid polluting the environment.
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Director of waste reduction at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Sinta Saptarina, also highlighted that the use of single-use plastic bags for distributing Qurbani meat would generate a lot of plastic waste.
To illustrate her point, she said that the distribution of meat from the estimated 1,814,403 Qurbani animals for Eid al-Adha this year has the potential to generate 124,265,950 units of plastic bag waste.
To reduce the use of single-use plastic bags, the ministry has issued the Circular of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Number SE.4/MENLHK/PSLB3/PLB.2/6/2022 regarding the Implementation of Eid al-Adha without Plastic Waste.
Saptarina expounded that the ministry has appealed to the Qurbani implementation committee not to use plastic bags for the distribution of Qurbani meat and to ask people to bring their own reusable containers.
The ministry has also asked the committee to use leaves, woven bamboo, or reusable containers to distribute Qurbani meat.
In addition, the ministry has recommended that segregated trash bins be provided and a special task force be formed to handle waste at places of worship and slaughter of Qurbani animals on Eid al-Adha.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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